


Backwarder Backtracks

by RockSunner



Series: Smart Adversaries AU [37]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bittersweet Ending, Chat Noir Reveal, Episode: s03 Rebrousse–temps | Backwarder, F/M, Heroic Sacrifice, Identity Reveal, Ladybug Reveal, Nazi Occupation, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-11-08 03:23:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17973542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockSunner/pseuds/RockSunner
Summary: What if Backwarder didn't get caught by Ladybug's trap?





	1. Timing is Off

Ladybug was being pursued by Backwarder around the Place de la Concorde, the largest public park in Paris. She kept dodging the villain's clock-hand wand. If it touched her, she would be compelled to reverse all of her actions that day, leading Backwarder (and Hawk Moth) to Master Fu and the Miracle Box.

Ladybug checked the timer on her yo-yo. Everything was going according to plan.

Chat Noir was headed back to his position with the Lucky Charm pipe under his foot, tied to him with a kite string. Since the pipe was attached when Backwarder struck him, it was also moving in a perfect reversal.

"Ow, my ankle! I think I've sprained it!" said Ladybug, kneeling on the "X" she had drawn in the dirt.

"You're mine!" cried Backwarder, running at her.

Ladybug leaped into the air. At this point, Chat Noir had yanked the pipe off of the X and caught it under his foot.

Now the pipe shot forward onto the X, and Backwarder tripped on it, as Ladybug had expected. Elements of random chance (like the path of a stumble) were supplied by the Lucky Charm. It made even the most improbable plan work flawlessly (as long as it wasn't impossible).

"Cataclysm!" called Chat Noir, the reverse of "Msylcatac" which he he had said before. Black energy gathered around his hand.

It was fortunate that the power still worked when Chat Noir said his magic word without conscious intent. Ladybug was always careful not to say "lucky charm" before she was ready to invoke her power.

Backwarder staggered forward, right up to Chat Noir. If Chat lowered his hand now, he would destroy the akumatized brooch in the transparent chest compartment of her armor.

Why wasn't he lowering his hand?

Ladybug thought back. It had taken about five seconds for her to figure out how to say "Cataclysm" backwards. All that time, Chat had stood with his hand in the air. If only she had worked out the pronunciation ahead of time!

Backwarder recovered her balance and stepped out of the way before Chat finally lowered his hand. He began walking forward, hand in front of him, toward the X.

"Very clever, Ladybug, but not clever enough," said Backwarder, turning and advancing on Ladybug. "Your timing is off, but mine will be deadly accurate."

Ladybug picked up the pipe and gave the kite line a desperate tug. If she could pull Chat off course and make his hand hit Backwarder from behind, she knew she could make him destroy Backwarder's whole armor and the brooch along with it. (Ladybug had overridden the effect of a Cataclysm before when Chat Noir's mind was confused. When Chat was enthralled by Princess Fragrance, Ladybug turned a potentially deadly attack into a firework control panel malfunction.)

Chat Noir was too strong, and too compelled to keep walking forward at the same pace he had walked backward before. The kite string snapped when Ladybug tugged too hard. She staggered back, off-balance.

Backwarder charged and tagged her with the tip of the clock hand.

Ladybug didn't have a moment to regret that she had failed and was about to lead Hawk Moth to Master Fu. She was helplessly reliving the last few seconds backwards.

* * *

Something had changed. Ladybug's mind was free again, but the world was going nuts. Day and night alternated rapidly, going faster and faster as the sun tracked from west to east.

Chat was also free again. He asked, "What's going on?"

"I've absorbed enough energy so that all the cracks in my clock face are gone," said Backwarder. "I'm the Master of Time. I don't have to follow anyone to Fu. I can rewind the world and undo the biggest mistake of my life!"

Time was spinning back faster and faster. People and cars went by in a backwards blur. It was overwhelming.

* * *

Moments later (and decades earlier) the blurring stopped. They were still standing in the Place de la Concorde. The sky was dark.

"What time is it?" asked Ladybug.

"Earlier than you think, m'Lady," said Chat Noir.

He pointed at the Luxor Obelisk in the middle of the square. "There's no pyramid-shaped cap on top of the Obelisk. That was added in 1998. We've gone back in time before that."

"You must have really hit the history books to know something like that," said Ladybug.

Chat Noir said, "I had a rigorous edu-cat-ion."

"What's that huge banner on the Hôtel de Crillon? It has a swastika on it," said Ladybug.

"Oh-oh. We're in Nazi-occupied Paris. It's sometime in the early 1940's," Chat said.

"How can we be here?" asked Ladybug. "The whole world changed, but not us. We're not born yet."

"The power of the Miraculous must be protecting us," said Chat. "The problem is, we've both used our powers. In less than five minutes we'll time out. When that happens we may cease to exist!"

"Maybe going back in time took back the timeout?" asked Ladybug.

Chat looked at his ring. "No... it's still counting down. Time travel didn't magically reset the energy our kwamis used."

"We have to find Backwarder again, defeat her, and do a healing charm to put the world back to normal. All before we time out and maybe cease to exist," said Ladybug.

"I still haven't touched anything with my destructive hand," said Chat. "And you're still holding the Lucky Charm pipe. But where's Backwarder?"

"I have an idea where to look," said Ladybug. "I hope."


	2. Out of Time

"Where do you think Backwarder is?" asked Chat Noir.

"I hope I'm right. There's a bench on the bank of the Seine near the Eiffel Tower. I delivered the wrong letter there to an elderly woman named Marianne. That's why she got akumatized."

"Why would she go there now?"

"Master Fu gave me a letter for her. He knew where she would be, even though he hasn't been in touch with her for years. I think Marianne went there every day – the place must be important to her. I'm hoping she went back in time to the day it first became important."

"Do you know what was in Master Fu's letter?"

"I didn't read it, but I gave it to another woman by mistake. She thought I was declaring my love to her; she told me she was already taken."

"Mee-ouch. Embarrassing."

"Anyway, that's what this is all about. Backwarder wants to get back with Master Fu. We have to hurry before she does something crazy."

* * *

A short time earlier, Young Marianne and Master Fu were running away from the Nazis. Fu had the phonograph that concealed the Miracle Box in his backpack.

Red searchlights lit the sky around them. There were zeppelins in the sky above the Eiffel Tower.

"Wait!" said Marianne, stopping her run. "We have to fight, Fu! Let's use the Miraculous: I'll take the Ladybug and you take the Black Cat!"

"But what if we fail?" asked Fu. "They'll get hold of this box and it will mean the end of the world! Come with me; we'll be safe in England."

Fu took Marianne's hand and began to run again, but she let go.

Fu turned back toward her. "Marianne?"

"Leave without me — I'd rather stay and resist, even without the Miraculous!"

Fu took out a brooch with a Chinese ideogram on it and pinned it to Marianne's blouse.

"I'll come back for this... and you!" said Fu.

Marianne took his hands. "I'll be waiting for you, right here, every day!"

"Marianne, I've never told you this, but I –"

He was interrupted by the appearance of a strange figure who leaped down from the street above.

"Marianne, go with him!" said Backwarder.

"Who are you?" asked Marianne in surprise and fear.

"I am you from the future. The Butterfly Miraculous holder granted me the power to travel in time. Don't make the mistake I did. Go with Fu now, or you will spend decades alone."

"The missing Butterfly!" said Fu. "You know who has it?"

"How do we know this isn't some Nazi trick?" asked Marianne. "Can you prove you're from the future?"

"I can," said Marianne. "The symbol on that brooch Fu just gave you – years later I found out what it meant. It's the symbol for 'love' in a simplified form of Chinese writing that will be invented a decade from now."

"It's true, Marianne," said Fu. "I wanted something special for you. I meditated with the help of the Rooster kwami. Roosters greet the rising sun of the new day – he grants the power of Foresight. I had a vision of that new symbol for love."

There was a shout in the distance. "Over there! Catch them!"

"The Nazis!" said Backwarder. "You must go! I used a lot of power to get here, but I still have enough to make them back off."

"Thank you, future me," said Marianne. "I'll take your advice and go with Fu."

"But I must know about the Butterfly," said Fu.

"No time!" said Marianne, pulling him along.

The couple headed off, running together.

The voices came closer. "Come on! Faster! The box! We must get the box!"

The leading Nazi soldiers came close. Backwarder leaped among them, striking with her clock wand. They ran backwards, disrupting the others.

Ladybug and Chat Noir came swinging and vaulting in.

"Time out, Backwarder," said Chat Noir.

"You're my enemies, but there is something bigger at stake," said Backwarder. "Help me fight off the Nazis so that Marianne and Fu can escape."

"We get to fight Nazis!" said Chat Noir. "If we had time, we could even destroy Hitler."

"That never works," said Ladybug.

The two heroes attacked with staff and yo-yo, quickly defeating the small group of Nazis with the help of Backwarder. Chat kept his power of destruction in reserve.

"Thank all of you for eliminating my competition for the Miraculouses," said a cold voice from above them.

"Hawk Moth!" said Ladybug and Chat Noir together.

"My Miraculous preserved me on this trip back in time," said Hawk Moth. "This is the perfect opportunity to seize all of the Miraculouses from their Guardian. With that much power I will be able to do anything, even return to my own time."

"No you don't!" said Ladybug.

"We won't let you!" said Chat Noir.

The heroes leaped up to where Hawk Moth stood in the middle of the street. Hawk Moth drew his sword.

"I'm a better fighter than both of you. You needed the help of your team last time we faced off. You're all alone and out of time. I even have an ally. Backwarder, help me fight them or I'll pull your power and you'll disappear!"

"My work here is done," said Backwarder. "There's no place for me in the new future I've created."

Using the last of her temporal power to make small time-skips, Backwarder moved too fast to stop. She impaled herself on Hawk Moth's sword. The sword went through the brooch in her chest, releasing the akuma butterfly. The magic boiled away, leaving Marianne pierced through the chest.

Ladybug didn't give herself time to react. She got to work capturing the butterfly before it could escape.

"You monster!" yelled Chat Noir, leaping at Hawk Moth with his black-glowing right hand extended.

Hawk Moth couldn't use his sword and he was still in shock from what had happened. Chat brought his hand down on Hawk Moth's shoulder, willing total disintegration.

Hawk Moth turned to black dust and crumbled. Marianne's body fell to the ground.

"No!" said Ladybug. "You shouldn't have killed him! Maybe I can... make it all not happen."

Her earring beeped rapidly, signaling her time was up. She didn't even have enough time left to use the healing charm.

"Chat!" she shouted, throwing the spotted Lucky Charm pipe to him.

Ladybug detransformed. Chat caught a glimpse of a familiar face before Marinette vanished from existence.

Chat stared at the pipe he had caught. His mind was full of horror at what he had just happened, at what he had done. What was he supposed to do with this thing? Oh yes...

He threw the pipe into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

Time rushed forward in a blur.


	3. Butterfly Effect

Marinette felt disoriented. She was behind the counter at her parent's bakery, helping them out. That was normal, but somehow there were other memories. Wasn't she just on the bank of the Seine, in a red costume with black spots?

Ridiculous. It was just a silly daydream. This was Paris, not London. Lady Bug and Rumpus Cat were British superheroes.

Sabine Cheng, Marinette's mother, answered the phone in the back of the bakery (the one they normally used for taking orders).

"Marinette do you know a boy named Adrien?" Sabine called. "He wants to speak to you."

Marinette's heart jumped. That name... she remembered the gorgeous blond-haired boy who sat in front of her in her class. Except he didn't. Nino sat at that desk alone.

"Y-yes, from school," said Marinette.

It wasn't really a lie. Just a different school from a different set of memories.

"You should give him your cellphone number so he doesn't tie up our business line," said Sabine.

Marinette went to the phone. "Hello. Umm... Adrien?"

"Marinette, you're the only one I could think of to call. I don't have other numbers in my phone anymore, but I remembered the name of the bakery."

"Uh... okay. W-what's up?"

"This may seem crazy, but... do you know me?"

"Yes! Sort of... my memories are kind of mixed up right now. Are you coming back to school?"

"I don't go to that school... the way things are now."

"Maman is looking at me to get off this line. I'll give you my cellphone number and you can call me back. We can talk room in my privates... I mean, talk privately in my room."

* * *

Marinette got permission for a break and went upstairs to her room. Her phone rang and she answered it.

"Hi, Marinette."

"Adrien, do you know what's happened? Why do I have these other memories?"

"I think I know. It's time travel. In a different timeline you were Ladybug, a superhero."

"That should sound crazy to me, but it doesn't. I have memories of swinging around the city in a red costume with black spots. But I don't remember anyone learning my identity."

"I found out when we were back in time. I don't think it will do any harm to tell you, since I'm not a superhero now. I was Chat Noir."

"What? Really? You acted so differently as Adrien."

"I was letting my real self free. My good-guy side is the front I put up as a model."

"Wow..."

Marinette wondered about her crush. She had idolized a false image of a guy while rejecting the real person underneath. Maybe that could change now, and they both could get to know each other for real.

"Back to the time travel stuff," said Adrien. "An akuma villain called Backwarder traveled back in time to stop herself from making a mistake. Our powers protected us when time went backwards."

"I'm starting to remember now. What was the mistake?"

"She was the girlfriend of Master Fu, the Miraculous Guardian. In the old timeline they went their separate ways."

"I remember Master Fu and Marianne. I was happy he once had a girlfriend, but sad they lost each other."

"I think that's what changed the past. They stayed together and went to England. That's why there are superheroes in London and not here."

"Because maybe before... Master Fu came back to Paris to be closer to Marianne, even though he waited a long time to get in touch with her. Since they stayed together it didn't happen."

"I bet that's it."

"Hawk Moth somehow learned where they were. That's why his akumas are active in London. Lady Bug and Rumpus Cat were chosen by Master Fu to fight him."

"Do you think Hawk Moth remembers things from that time? He was there, too. He could remember Master Fu's face since he saw him through Backwarder's eyes."

"Maybe, but I killed Hawk Moth back there. His memories are probably weaker than yours. You lost power and faded out of existence."

"Does it bother you that you killed Hawk Moth?"

"Horribly. I was in a rage at how messed up things were, and that Backwarder had to sacrifice herself for us. But that's no excuse for murder. I'm glad I'm not Chat Noir anymore – I'm not worthy. But I'm sorry you lost being Ladybug."

"The fight's out of our hands now. I'm sure Master Fu and Marianne have chosen good heroes there."

"I hope so. They must be really good because they haven't needed to activate other heroes yet."

"So Adrien, now that we're free of all that... do you think we could get together sometime? I mean, you liked me as Ladybug and I liked you as Adrien."

"That will be hard. You see, I live in London now."

"What? When did that happen?"

"My mother disappeared about a year and a half ago. My father moved to England to get away from everything."

"I guess I knew that from from the fashion news, but I didn't connect it with you until this moment. Its my mixed-up memories again – I didn't have any personal connection with you in this timeline. How can he run the Gabriel Fashions brand from London?"

"It's hard, but he's managing somehow. He's very busy and I don't get to see much of him."

"Are you home-schooled or do you get to go to school there?"

"I was able to get him to send me to school. I needed total immersion to get fluent in English quickly."

"You've made friends there?"

"Some. Not as close as you and the others in Ms. Bustier's class, though."

"Are you... seeing anyone?"

"No, not really. Kagami Tsurugi is the daughter of a business associate of my father's. We're both into fencing. It seems like my father and her mother are trying to get us together, but we're just friends. They set us up to go to the Royal Wedding together this weekend."

"The Royal Wedding!" Marinette thought. "I gave Adrien Master Fu's prescription for laxative pills instead of a love confession. I'm so glad that never happened. I would have died of embarrassment."

"You knew Kagami in the old timeline, too," Marinette said.

"Yes, and she came close to killing me as Riposte. She didn't get akumatized this time around."

"Thank goodness."

"How about you? Are you seeing anyone?"

"Well... Nino and I are dating. Several months ago he invited me to the zoo and told me he liked me. I've known him for years and I didn't have any other crushes... we gradually got closer."

Marinette thought, "It's going to be tricky with Nino now that I've remembered my old crush on Adrien. But nothing can ever happen with that. I'll stick with Nino."

"What about Alya?"

"We're good friends. Oh... I remember she and Nino from the other timeline! They never got locked together in a zoo cage for an afternoon, so nothing happened between them."

"Alya's doing all right?"

"Yes. She still has a great interest in superheroes. She blogs about the adventures of Lady Bug and Rumpus Cat. But there's no chance she'll uncover their secret identities from Paris."

"I'm wondering... about my Dad moving to London. We lost my mother in the other timeline too, and he stayed in Paris. What caused the change? Was it just a butterfly effect?"

"A butterfly effect... that could be it!"

"What do you mean?"

"Hawk Moth is active in London because of Master Fu. In the old timeline Hawk Moth and Master Fu were both here in Paris. Your father is in London now."

"You mean you think he's Hawk Moth?"

"There were all those clues... his secret book of Miraculous superheroes..."

"You knew about that book? You didn't tell me."

"My kwami recognized the book when you had it at the school library, and I investigated as Ladybug. I was keeping that part secret because I didn't have permission to talk about Master Fu. I was the one who recovered the book and got it back to your father so you could come back to school."

"I just knew you suspected my father and saw butterfly patterns everywhere around him. But then he was akumatized as the Collector and we eliminated him as a suspect."

"That was before we knew he didn't work alone. The Peacock holder could have done it for him."

"If this is true, what am I going to do? I have no proof. Nobody will believe me."

"Find some way to tip off Lady Bug and Rumpus Cat. Your inside knowledge will convince them. They'll investigate and find the proof."

"I'll try. It's crazy. My own father... I killed him. Now I'm trying to turn him in."

"If there was any way for me to get to London, I would help you."

"Your moral support from a distance is help enough, m'Lady."

"Good luck... Chaton."

"Just call me Adrien. My luck is better without the Black Cat Miraculous. Though I miss Plagg."

"I know you can do it, Adrien."

"I'd better get back to piano practice now. Keep things looking normal."

"Bye Adrien. Please keep calling and tell me how things are going."

"I will. Bye, Bugaboo – Marinette."

They hung up. Marinette sat on her chaise lounge a long time after that, processing the memories and thinking about what might have been. She cried.

Marinette pulled herself together. She had a good life, a normal life. It would be enough.

She headed back downstairs to the bakery.

**The End**


End file.
